Last Time Out: L, 52-58 at Butler, 1-18-14Trailing 7-2 at the first media break (15:34), Creighton appeared to rally from a slow start with a five-point burst to tie the game at 7-7. Senior McKenie Fujan pulled the Bluejays within a possession via a 10-foot jumper, after a defensive stop, junior Sammy Jensen knocked down an open three-ball to make it 7-7 with 14:56 on the clock.

Butler, however, answered with a 12-2 run to take control of the game at 19-9 at the 9:31 mark. Creighton got no closer than seven the rest of the half, going into the locker room down 34-22.

After allowing Butler to shoot 52% in the opening period (13-of-25), Creighton amped up its defensive intensity in the second period. Despite the improved defensive effort, the Bluejays still found themselves down 12 (46-34) with 7:03 remaining.

Creighton found a rhythm as the game draw to its close, scoring nine straight to make it a one possession affair with 2:37 left. Sophomore Marissa Janning started the run with two free throw, then Fujan knocked in a pull-up jumper from eight feet to make it 46-38 (4:39). Senior Alyssa Kamphaus chipped in a pair of free throw, then Fujan delivered a try from the wing, forcing a Butler timeout.

The Bulldogs responded to the break with six straight to salt the game away.

Marquette vs. Creighton Series:Creighton and Butler will meet for the 8th time on Saturday, Jan. 25. Creighton holds a 5-2 series edge on the Golden Eagles, Inlcuindg a 63-61 win in the last meeting on Nov. 28, 2010.

Marquette returns nine letterwinners from last season, including three starters (Morse, Plouffe and Pumroy).

Saw its 2012-13 season advance to the WNIT Tournament, falling in the First Round to Northern Iowa, 61-59.

The Golden Eagles were picked to finish fifth in BIG EAST in the preseason poll.

Marquette Head Coach: Terri Mitchell (Duquesne, 1989)

Mitchell has a career record of 337-208 in 18 seasons, all at Marquette.

Notably, the Golden Eagles have earned post-season berths in10 of the last 11 seasons.

Earned three trips to the NCAA Tournament Second Round (2004, 2007, 2011)

Claimed the Women’s National Invitation Tournament crown in 2008.

She guided MU to a 21-10 record in 1996-97, which was 13 wins better than the previous season’s record of 8-20. It was the largest turnaround of any first-year head coach and third-best single-season turnaround among all NCAA Division I schools that year.

During the summer of 2008, Mitchell served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball’s U18 Women’s National Team. Under her guidance, Team USA won the gold medal while rolling through the FIBA Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina undefeated.

Marquette has continued to play well in the BIG EAST, downing Butler, Georgetown, Xavier and Providence. The Golden Eagles two losses came at home against Villanova (63-61) and to St. John’s (49-47).

The leading lady for Marquette has been senior Katherine Plouffe, who is averaging 19.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Plouffe has reached 20+ points in seven contests, Marquette is 7-0 in each of those games.

One of the keys for Marquette this season is the Golden Eagles ability to clean the glass. Marquette is averaging 46.9 rebounds per game with a +14.3 rebounding margin. In BIG EAST play those numbers are similar, 42 rebounds per game and a +13.5 rebounding margin.

Keys to the Game w/Marquette:

Win the Power Forward Position: The Golden Eagles power forward is the to Marquette. Creighton will counter with its best post defender, Sarah Nelson. The battle between Nelson and Plouffe will go a long way to deciding the game.

Execute on Offense: While it seems obvious, the Bluejays’ numbers are staggering. In Creighton’s 11 victories, the Bluejays are averaging 17.9 assists and 12.0 turnovers per game. By contrast the Bluejays average 10.8 assists and 13.5 turnovers per contest in the eight losses. Creighton is shooting 45.8% in their wins, 30.7% in the eight losses.

Home Conference Winning Streak Grows to 13Creighton opened its tenure in the BIG EAST the way the Bluejays closed their time in the MVC, beating conference opposition at home. With the 79-50 win over Xavier on Jan. 15, Creighton has won its last 13 games in D.J. Sokol Arena against conference opponents. The Bluejays last conference loss at home was on Feb 4, 2012 to Missouri State, 63-55.

First 200 Students @ WBB vs. Marquette, Nab Lower Bowl Seats @ MBB The first 200 Creighton students to attend the Creighton women’s basketball game against Marquette on Jan. 25 (3:00 pm), will earn lower bowl seats to the men’s game with Georgetown later that night (7:00 pm).

To earn the MBB tickets, students must meet the following conditions:

Students will enter through the northwest entrance of the D.J. Sokol Arena beginning at 2:05 p.m.

The first 200 students in attendance will swipe their valid Creighton student ID card and receive a wristband, which will need to be kept on for the duration of the WBB game. The wristband guarantees the student a lower bowl student section ticket to the MBB game against Georgetown at 7 pm. If a student leaves the arena prior to the conclusion of the women’s game, that student’s wristband will be removed and another wristband will not be issued.

At the conclusion of the WBB game, students with wristbands will be directed to the ticket office where representatives will provide the student section ticket.

At the men’s basketball game that night, students will be asked to present their ticket with a valid Creighton student ID card for admittance.

Lost or stolen wristbands and/or tickets will not be replaced.

Consistency A Key for BluejaysOne of the keys to Creighton’s success over the past three seasons has been its ability to define roles for its players. During the 2012-13 season, Creighton used two starting lineups, as four players started every game. The same is true thus far in 2013-14 as the Bluejays have used only one variation in starting unit.

Ball Security at its Finest, BIG EASTThe Creighton Bluejays moved into the top-10 in the NCAA in ball security, averaging just 12.6 turnovers per game. The nations leader is fellow BIG EAST member, Villanova. (9.4).